Tanzania
Cultural Safari To Ng’iresi Village Of The Wa-arusha
Tribe in Arusha
(Half
Day or Full Day Trip)
Ng’iresi
Village in Arusha Tanzania
|
The
Wa'arusha Tribe in
Tanzania
|
 Wa'arusha
Women in
Tanzania
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Ng’iresi Village Visit
includes the following
* A glimpse of the Wa-arusha culture
* A walk to Songoto and Navuru waterfalls
*
A guided tour to farms on the lush slopes of Mt. Meru
* A delicious lunch and dinner prepared by the Juhudi
Women’s Group
*
A climb to Kivesi Hill, an old volcano with a natural
forest on the top
* A visit to several
development projects in the village – soil conservation,
irrigation, cross breeding, bio gas
Ng’iresi
Village
Ng'iresi is situated
7 kilometers out of Arusha on the green and steep
slopes of Mount Meru. The inhabitants of the village
are all farmers of the Wa-arusha tribe. The Wa-arusha
are family of the Maasai, but have gradually shifted
from pastoral to agriculture. Some Wa-arusha are still
living in the traditional bomas, others try hard to
build up stone houses; some still depend on their
cows, others have cultivated large plots. The village
perfectly shows the transition from traditional into
modern African life. On the steep slopes agriculture
is not an easy activity. If farmers don't take preventive
measures, soil erosion takes place rapidly. Many farmers
now have started to place contour lines and build
terraces.
The irrigation system in the village further helps
the farmers to increase their harvest. Some villagers
even participate in other innovative projects, like
a fish nursery, a biogas system and a cross breeding
project. All the activities take place on the magnificent
slopes of Mount Meru, where small rivers race downhill
cascading into impressive waterfalls. The volcanic
activities of Mount Meru have created many small hills
around Ng'iresi. Some of them easily can be climbed
within an hour. From the top you have a beautiful
view over the surrounding area.
Half
Day Tour
Village
Tour
Visit Mzee Loti’s
farm for a coffee and tea and get an explanation on
bio gas, cross breeding and soil conservation projects
on the farm. Walk to the nearby bomas to see the various
styles of traditional Maasai and Wa-arusha houses
and enjoy a beautiful view of Arusha town and the
surrounding Maasai plain. Descend Lekimana Hill to
visit the Ng’iresi primary school and return
to Loti’s farm for lunch.
Songota Waterfall
The tour starts from
Kwangulelo bus stop. A 45-minute walk takes you to
the Songota waterfall in Oldadai village. Visit Mzee
Loti’s farm and visit the bio gas and soil conservation
projects, traditional houses and school.
Full
Day Tour
The one day tour adds
a visit to the catchment forest on the higher slopes
of Meru. Here you can see the spring that is the main
water source for the village. A few meters downstream
the farmers are building an intake for the irrigation
system. Groups with a special interest can plan a
visit to a traditional healer at the edge of the forest.
Further downhill a fish nursery is visited in the
backyard of a farmer. The day is finished with a dinner
at Mzee Loti's farm.
Navuru
Waterfall and Village Tour
From
Mzee Loti’s farm, do the half day tour combined
with a walk to the Olgilai forest reserve. A small
path leads you to the steep canyon of the Themi river.
Cross the river to reach the Navuru waterfall.
Village and Forest Tour
The
village tour can be combined with a visit on to the
forest on the higher slopes of Mt. Meru. The spring
water that are the main source of water for the village
commence here. At the edge of the forest, meet a traditional
healer.
